About Me

Hi! I'm Shanticka. My blog is about any and everything that I want it to be. Me, my family, work, personal style, friends, etc. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy getting to know me. Live, in living color.

12.28.2011

Hi everyone! I'm excited to be the most recent feature over at Black Fashion Bloggers! There's been some wonderful ladies with fabulous style featured on this blog, and I'm happy that I get to be amongst them. Thank you so much Nika for accepting my entry & for your support! Head on over to check it out! =D

You can also find Nika on her personal style blog over at Irie Chic. Until next time...

12.27.2011

Hi!! Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! I'm back with another edition of "Tell it all Tuesdays". Thank you all for reading my last one, and for all of the sweet comments. It really means a lot to me. This one won't be as long as the first one because I realized that I need to save some things for future posts. I guess I can be a blabber mouth sometimes. It will still be as random though. lolA few of my favorite songs in the whole wide world are, Overjoyed by Steve Wonder, As We Lay by Shirley Murdock, Grandmas Hands by Bill Withers and Moody's Mood for Love by James Moody. I have more, but these are a few that represent special people and specific periods in my life. The songs make me think of my childhood, and I get all warm and fuzzy when I hear them.

I'm 1/4 of the self proclaimed "Wine-Oh Clique". Three other ladies and myself get together once a month to hang out, drink different kinds of wine, and go to different restaurants. We have so much fun!

I was Snow Daze Queen in high school. I really liked my powder blue dress and dyed shoes from Payless. =D

This is my most favorite picture in the whole wide world. Hubby and my daughter. It was such a sweet moment. It warms my heart to know that it was captured.

My family has a reunion every year hosted in Chicago. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!

Can you spot me??

I don't have a favorite food or color. But I don't like most veggies (I recently took a liking to zucchini). And I'm drawn to neutrals. I don't really like to cook, but I can. I know it's therapeutic for some people,but it's mostly just work for me. I love it when Hubby decides to take thewheel and get down in the kitchen! I really like his chicken and fries.

I can be quite confrontational if I need to be. I don't shy away from it.I'm a good listener. I love being the shoulder to cry on for my friends and family (as long as it's not about the same thing over and over again).I'm kind of a procrastinator. I do some of my best work under pressure... Really, I do!I'm a Virgo. But I'm not a neat freak like they say most Virgos are. Some of the other traits are so me though. That always confused me.One of these days, I want to go natural with my hair. I have such hair envy of my daughter. Little known fact about me... I secretly wanted a Jheri Curl as a child. HA!

I'm a homebody, but I get restless sometimes. Especially in the winter time. Cabin fever sets in during the cold winter months and drives me stir crazy.

My car covered in snow last winter. Crazy!

Well, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks again for reading! Until next time... =D

12.25.2011

Yes, I'm blogging on Christmas. I hope that you all are having a wonderful time with family and friends while being together and celebrating the birth of Christ. My mother and brother are in town. Although we are missing my sister, we are having a great time.

On to the OOTD...

I have been coveting the below boots for about a year now. I did a post a few months ago about a few pairs of boots that I wanted (see here). This morning, I opened a box that had my Minnetonka Moccasins waiting for me. Hubby was so on point with this gift! I was so excited to have them that I couldn't contain myself. I recently found out that the ever so fashionable Lexy over at BeautyFash has a grey pair. I decided to rock mine on the very first day that I got them because I was so excited. =D

As if it couldn't get any better, another gift featured in these pics, is my brand new Coach bag. Oh how I LOVE it! That man wow'd me this morning. The last and final gift featured in the pics is my pink tam. This hat is so cute to me, and I can't wait to roller set my hair and place this bad boy on top of my curls. It's gonna be too cute!

12.20.2011

The beautiful Kiah over at From the Rez to the City created a blog post about who she is as a person. I felt like it connected me to her on a whole different level, and for that I am grateful. Judging from all of the sweet comments on her post, I know I'm not the only one. Kiah and I had a brief Twitter convo and she said something that rings so true... "We all know we love fashion, but that does not define us." I loved her post so much that I decided to jump on in and share a few things about myself (I got her blessing =D). I've done a similar post previously, but it didn't dive as deep (see here). I decided I would start a new segment titled, "Tell it all Tuesdays". This is all very random and all over the place, but hang in there with me y'all. Here it goes...I was born in Chicago (Cabrini Green) and raised by my great grandmother and great aunt. My granny passed away when I was 12 years old, but I feel like I learned so much from here in the short time that I was blessed with her in my life. I moved to Minnesota when I was 14 years old. I hated it like crazy. I never would have guessed that I would meet some amazing people, and have such wonderful life long friends.

I like a good game of paintball. Nothing like shooting your friends in the leg with a semi-automatic paintball gun. =D

I have one tattoo. I tattoo'd myself like a big old fool at the tender age of 12. Before you ask, yes it says "Fe-Mac". Anybody remember the rapper chick MC Smooth?? I finally got it covered at the ripe old age of 33. Bout time! HA!

Before

After

This is my first haircut (8th grade). It was supposed to be like Salt N Pepa, but ended up every bit of horrible. BTW, I was in my late 20's when I finally waxed my eyebrows. I was so bushy!! lol! Don't judge me!

I loved my high school years. Some of the best times were had. I never went to college, and that's not to say that I won't go in the future. I was just one who got right to work after high school.

I'm outgoing and I love to laugh. I found out from my husband that I laugh just like my mother. LOL! Now when I laugh, all I hear is her. She'll be happy to know that.

My Momma

People say I'm an old soul. I feel like it sometimes too, but I sometimes I don't like being a voice of reason. Sometimes I just want to let go and do stuff!!I have 3 brothers and one sister. I'm the oldest, so I'm in charge wether they know it or not.I do not like pets of any kind. Not even fish! I don't want to take care of them.I don't like people that much. **wait let me explain** I have a huge family. A lot of which I lived with until I moved from Chicago. Even though I love my family, I always wanted to be by myself and have my own space. With a family so big and so close, there was never a need for too many friends.I feel like I'm at my best when I know my family is happy.I don't wear make-up other than a little eye shadow and lip gloss.

My first application of eye shadow

I have been married to the most wonderful husband a gal can have for almost 10 years (this February). Together for almost 15 (this March).

Although I love Minnesota for it's diversity, school system and NO CLOTHES TAX, I want to retire in a warmer climate. North Carolina preferrably.I work in the insurance industry, and have since I graduated from high school in 1997, except for the few months that I worked at Comcast. Hey, it was free cable and internet!! I love the service aspect of my job. Even though I said I don't like people (don't judge me), I love building business relationships and seeing that customers return because of a service that I provide.

I think I may have rambled on for too long, that's all for now. Join me next week for another edition of "Tell it all Tuesdays". I'm going to try to keep doing this until I run out of things to say about myself. I hope to learn more about each and every one of you who take the time to stop by my little space and check up on me. Thanks for reading!! Until next time...

12.18.2011

Heeeyyyyy!! First, let me say that it's been really nice so far in Minnesota this winter!! I'm lovin it! So, it's been a full week since my last post. Man, have I been lazy! Recently, I've seen so many posts in the blog world about what people are wearing to holiday parties and events. I'm living vicariously through other people right now because I don't have a fancy party to attend this year. Due to budget cutbacks, the company I work for hasn't had a fancy party in years. =( Well, my blog stalking reading has prompted me to search my closet and put together a few looks that I thought would be appropriate for a holiday/New Years Eve event. Please excuse the picture heavy post. My daughter and I got picture happy. I'm not a red kind of girl so personally, I like the black and leopard. Which look do you like best??

The first dress is from Torrid. This summer, I bought it on clearance for a whopping $14!! I didn't have anywhere to wear it at the time, but at that price, it was a like a waste if money not to buy it! It fits me like a glove in all the right places. I love the sheer shoulder strap on one side.

The second dress is from Baby Phat. I LOVE this dress. I bought it around two years ago. It makes me feel like such a diva. I like the blazer over it for when I'm not trying to have all of my curves out and about. lol! The shoulders of the dress can be worn all the way up, half off the shoulder, or completely shoulder baring. I prefer the half off of the shoulder look.

P.S. At the request of the lovely Sacramento over at Mis Papelicos (love her blog), the pics today are a bit bigger.

12.11.2011

I've kicked back and enjoyed this weekend, because due to the holidays and family coming in town, the next two or three will be hectic to say the least. Did a little shopping...YAY! None for me... BOOOO! Other than that, I chilled at home with hubby and the kids.

I think this outfit is pretty comfy and cute. The boots have just the right heel height to walk around the mall and not have to soak my feet later. I decided to use the scarf more as a layer than as an accessory, so I belted it. It was a pretty nice day out (high 20's in December in Minnesota is considered nice), but the wind was out of control. My curls were all over the place! My baby girl did the best she could with the cold, the wind, and me. Poor thing. =D She's a trooper for Mommy's blog. Until next time...

12.08.2011

Played it pretty safe with the last post. Now it's time to step out again. This past summer, my sis-inlaw gave these faux leather leggings to me after she thought they didn't work for her. I had been wanting a pair for a while, but didn't know if they would work for me either. I figured this was the perfect way to find out. I absolutely love them, but here's the thing... They're hot (looking & temperature wise lol) my legs were sweating a little bit. They're also a bit noisy. I know some of you don't have this problem, but my thighs do a little rubbing! Maybe it's TMI, but it's true. These leggings don't let you forget it, LOL!

The top, is actually the infamous blog world Old Navy sweater dress. When I first wore the dress, I thought... This is one of those pieces that you only wear once in a while because while beautiful, it's so loud and eye catching. When I looked at it in my closet, I wanted to wear it again so bad and thought, why fight it? PUT IT ON. And I did, but as a sweater, not a dress. I feel all rocker chic in this outfit. Until next time...